Peachtree-Pine Shelter FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

08-22-2017

Questions re: Transition of People in The Shelter

Q: What is the transition plan for the people who will be on the streets because of this closure?

A: Central Atlanta Progress (CAP) has an agreement with United Way’s Regional Commission on Homelessness (RCOH) to organize the operations of the facility and to help relocate people staying at the shelter to permanent housing and other arrangements as appropriate based on their needs and choice. RCOH’s coordinating committee of experienced shelter operators will guide the effort to operate the facility until all of its residents have been placed elsewhere.

Q: What services will be provided for these homeless individuals?

A: The transition team is taking the lead in galvanizing services ranging from permanent housing, to behavioral health support and from skills training to assisting individuals with access to the resources and care needed to reach their goals.

Q: Does the new building owner intend to allow those sheltering there to stay in in the building under different management?

A: Yes, until all who seek help are assisted.

Q: How many people are currently living at Peachtree-Pine and are there enough resources to accommodate them?

A: Rough estimates suggest the population is between 150 and 200. Housing solutions will be offered to all individuals currently seeking shelter there.

Q: When will the shelter stop taking new clients? When will the shelter actually close as a shelter?

A: The shelter will stop taking new clients on Aug. 28. The shelter will close once all of the current clients have been served.

Questions re: Homeless Community of Atlanta

Q: What has been done to address chronic homelessness in Atlanta?

A: The Regional Commission on Homelessness (RCOH) has been created as a dedicated function of the United Way of Greater Atlanta. By engaging community partners and volunteers in developing innovative programs, we at United Way are working to end chronic homelessness, not manage it. Working in partnership with the Atlanta Homeless Continuum of Care and all the homeless service providers in the City, significant coordination and resources have been dedicated to assist the chronic population, leading to a 44% decrease in the last two years alone.

Q: Do you think that the closure of Peachtree-Pine shelter will improve or worsen the issue of homelessness for Atlanta?

A: The Regional Commission on Homelessness and its partners have laid the groundwork necessary to meet the very real needs of this population. Homelessness has been falling steadily for at least a decade in Atlanta – evidence that the commission’s approach has been successful.

Q: How can Atlanta solve homelessness when we are losing affordable housing units at such an incredible pace?

A: Affordable housing is one of the main drivers of homelessness in Atlanta. That’s why United Way and its partners support ClearPath, the 5 year strategic plan to make homelessness rare, brief and nonrecurring and, HomeStretch, the initiative to fund the plan, which works to address Atlanta’s Affordable Housing crisis.

Questions re: Peachtree-Pine Shelter Closure

Q: What organizations are involved in the closure of Peachtree-Pine shelter?

A:

United Way of Greater Atlanta

Crossroads Community Ministries

The Gateway Center

St. Joseph’s Mercy Care

Partners for HOME

Project Community Connections, Inc.

The Atlanta Housing Authority

City of Atlanta Department of Community Affairs

Atlanta Police Department

ADID Ambassador Force

Department of Family and Children Services

Fulton County Department of Public Health

GA Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities

Social Security Administration

Hope Atlanta

Salvation Army

Atlanta Mission

Action Ministries

Our House

Nicholas House

The Living Room

Community Advanced Practice Nurses

Grady Memorial Hospital

Mercy Care

Community Friendship, Inc.

Emory Hospital

Gateway Center

Q: I notice people trying to help by bringing food and clothing and dropping it off aroundthe shelter. What should they do? What should I do when I see that?

A: Volunteers and donations are welcomed so long as they are done in partnership with an experienced nonprofit. Many homeless service providers need, and rely on the generous support of volunteers every day. Instead of dropping off food and clothes outdoors, we strongly encourage you to partner with a nonprofit to serve food inside and/or donate to their clothing closets. You can visit the Partners for Hope website to find a nonprofit to partner with: www.partnerforhopeatl.com

Q: Will we see more people experiencing homelessness living in City of AtlantaParks?A: Because our hope is to serve all individuals at Peachtree and Pine and connect them to housing resources, we do not expect to see an uptick of individuals at area parks. Accessing parks during park hours is not a crime however, if you are concerned about criminal activity please call 911. If someone needs assistance from an outreach team, you can call 311 to dispatch our homeless response team.

Q: What are theplans to enforce laws like urban camping and required permitting to feed more than 75 people during the transition?

A: Unpermitted/illegal feeding and dumping will not be permitted outside of the shelter at Peachtree and Pine. All meals will be served inside beginning on the evening of the 28th and we hope that this will result in swift reductions of these problems in the area.

Q: Where can I find the Atlanta City Code so I can understand what is and is not allowed?

A: Homelessness and poverty are not illegal, and the City of Atlanta has no interest in criminalizing poverty. Certain behaviors, including selling drugs, pitching a tent on the sidewalk, urinating and defecating in public do violate the City’s Code of Ordinances. Call 311 to report these incidents so that the Peachtree-Pine Response Team can work to get those offenders the services they need or APD can enforce the law. The Atlanta-Fulton Pre-Arrest Diversion program will launch in September, further giving APD officers a way to connect people who have committed low-level crimes to services, rather than arrest them and put them in jail.